The invention relates to child bath seats, such as are used for bathing children.
Children are often placed in a bath seat for support during bathing in a bathtub. Often the bathtub is filled with about an inch of water and the adult uses a sponge or a face cloth to bathe the child while the child sits secured in the child bath seat. Concerns have been raised about the safety of child bath seats, particularly when parents improperly leave the child alone in the bathtub. Improvements are sought in the safety and convenience of bath seats in general.
In one aspect, the invention features a child bath seat, placed within and attached to a bathtub. The child bath seat includes a seat body that includes both a seat and a retaining structure extending above the seat for laterally retaining a child seated in the seat body. The seat also includes a bracing structure that holds the seat body in an upright position. The bracing structure has a first end attached to the seat body, and a second end, defining a recess, for receiving an upper edge of a side of the bathtub.
Various embodiments have one or more of the following features. For example, the child bath seat may include a clamping mechanism that secures the second end of the bracing structure to the side of the bathtub. Also, the bracing structure may include a horizontal adjustment bracket that allows adjustment of the bracing structure, which corresponds to a width of the side of the bathtub. In addition, the bracing structure may include a vertical adjustment bracket to adjust a vertical position of the seat relative to a bottom surface of the bathtub.
Other embodiments feature a bath seat including a support member attached to a bottom surface of the seat. The bath seat may engage the bottom surface of the bathtub only on a side of the bath seat opposite the bracing structure.
In still other features, the child bath seat, in its upright position and resting on a bottom surface of the bathtub, contacts the bottom surface of the bathtub only on one side of a center gravity of the seat body. Further, the seat body may rest on the bottom surface of the bathtub. Alternatively, the seat body may be suspended over the bottom surface of the bathtub.
In another aspect the invention features a child bath seat placed within and clamped to a bathtub. The child bath seat includes a seat body that includes both a seat and a retaining structure above the seat for laterally retaining a child in the seat body. The child bath seat also includes a bracing structure that holds the seat in an upright position. The bracing structure has a first end attached to the seat body, and a second end that has a clamp secured over an upper edge of the bathtub.
Various embodiments of this aspect have one or more of the features described above.
In another aspect, the invention features a method of securing a bath seat within a bathtub for bathing a child therein. The method includes placing the bath seat into the bathtub. The bath seat includes a seat that includes both a seat and retaining structure extending above the seat for laterally retaining a child in the seat body, and a bracing structure that has a first end attached to the seat body, and a second end defining a recess. The method also includes attaching the second end of the bracing structure over an upper edge of a side of the tub, with the upper edge of the side of the tub received in said recess and the seat body in an upright position.
Various embodiments have one or more of the following features. For example, a horizontal adjustment bracket may be adjusted on the bracing structure to correspond to a width of the side of the bathtub. In addition, a vertical position of the seat may be adjusted relative to a bottom surface of the bathtub.
In other features, the bottom surface of the bathtub may be engaged only on a side of the bath seat opposite the bracing structure. Further, the bottom surface of the bathtub may be contacted only on one side of a center of gravity of the seat body in its upright position. Alternatively, the seat body may be suspended over the bottom surface of the bathtub.
In another aspect, the invention features a method for bathing a child. The method includes placing a child bath seat in a tub. The child bath seat includes a seat body that includes both a seat and retaining structure above the seat for laterally retaining a child in the seat body, and a bracing structure that has a first end attached to the seat body, and a second end defining a recess for receiving an upper edge of a side of the tub with the seat body placed within the tub to hold the seat body in an upright position. The method also includes attaching the second end of the bracing structure over the upper edge of the side of the tub, inserting the child into the seat body, and securing the child within the retaining structure.
Various embodiments of this aspect have one or more of the following features described above.
Various aspects of the invention can provide advantages in the function and convenience of child bath seats. For example, the bracing structure holds the bath seat firmly in place thereby preventing the child seat from tipping over during bathing or when the child is physically active. The bracing structure can also be adjusted to conform to nonstandard bathtub side widths. Thus, one bath seat can be used in multiple locations and brought along during travel.
In other advantages, the bath seat can be adjustable to change the relative height of the bath seat to adapt to multiple tubs of varying depths. Thus, the bath seat can be used longer as the child grows in height or for children of different sizes. Further, the bath seat can also be structured to advantageously deter parents from placing children in the seat unless the bath seat is first properly secured in the bathtub.
Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.